Why What You Write On-Line Matters

If you are like me, you love social networking media. You find old and new friends on Facebook, you Tweet, you post comments to blog sites and bulletin boards, and the list goes on. I just reminisced with my college friends about the macaroni and cheese we used to cook in our hot pots in the dorms. Yes, I know I'm dating myself, but you take my point.

While "living online" has many benefits--personal, professional, and pure entertainment--it is not without its perils. Yes, we know the warnings of people posting risque photos or making lewd comments that become public when they have their 15 minutes of fame. But bad behavior online happens on a more local level as well.

Take, for instance, applicants to health professions programs who post on such sites as StudentDoctor.net. Many of you do, and it is a great way to get information about schools you are interested in and your fellow applicants. But sometimes, under the veil of anonymity, you post derogatory comments about a school or its reputation. I assume you all realize that these are public sites, and anyone, including VPs of university relations, directors of admissions, and even academic deans, periodically check these sites to find out what is being said about us. So, you might one day say, "School X is the worst school ever," and then a week later say, "I just got accepted to School X!" I'm not sure if the irony eludes you, but we take notice. And we question the maturity and thoughtfulness of an individual who would publicly post comments that could have a long-term detrimental impact on their choices and careers. We aren't "spying" on you, and we get that online posts are more casual in nature. We just would recommend that you think before you type.

Once you matriculate at a professional school, the dangers don't subside. In fact, they increase. We know that health systems and hospitals periodically check the online activity of students who will be completing rotations at their facilities. We know of instances when students were denied rotations because of something they had posted online. Again, this isn't particularly groundbreaking information, but we are still somewhat amazed by the inappropriateness of what students say and post in these public forums.

My advice: Enjoy social network and use it to your benefit. But every time before you type a comment or post a photo, think very carefully about it. Would you want the quote or image plastered on the front page of the newspaper with your name by it? Would you want the dean of your medical school to know what you did last night and with whom? Would you risk badmouthing a school to which you are an applicant? We are much less concerned about our reputation than we are about yours. If you are considering or pursuing an education in the health professions, you need to start behaving like a professional. If your family doctor posted a photo of herself in a state of undress with a beer bong down her throat, would you still seek her services? If your family dentist wrote blasphemous comments about a colleague in an online chatroom, would you be comfortable sitting in his chair as a patient?

Have fun but be smart.